By: Eleni Dimitrakos | Editor-in-Chief
A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to spend a few days in New York with my parents. Though the reason for their visit wasn’t to be in New York exclusively, a trip to the City isn’t “a trip to the City” without watching a Broadway show or two.
Which is exactly what we did.
For the third time, I watched Hamilton and for the first time I saw Wicked. I couldn’t help but write a dual theatre review of the two shows. Especially since my viewing of Hamilton was a special one: it was the 10th Anniversary of the debut of the show, which meant that Leslie Odom Jr. would be reprising his role as Aaron Burr.
So yes, I did get to see Leslie Odom Jr. on stage as Burr, in all his genius—something, quite frankly, I never thought would happen. But before we get into his performance, I’d like to first touch on the rest of the cast and their performances.
At my performance on November 1st, there were a few understudies on stage. Below is a list of the typical cast members that were unable to perform that night:
TREY CURTIS as Alexander Hamilton
BRYSON BRUCE as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson
DAVID GUZMAN as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton
THAYNE JASPERSON as Samuel Seabury
Below is a list of the understudy that took on each role:
MARC delaCRUZ as Alexander Hamilton
COLBY LEWIS as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson
THAYNE JASPERSON as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton
ADAM ALI-PEREZ as Samuel Seabury
I have to say that though these actors were incredible, as I was watching, there was a sort of disconnect that was clear to me. None of the actors, in my opinion, were able to fully embody the characters they were set to play as understudies and standbys. There was an air of nervousness and uncertainty on stage.
I found this most notably with Thayne Jasperson, who typically performs in the role of Samuel Seabury in Farmer Refuted. Thayne was actually also an original cast member, and fans frequently joke that the Richard Rodgers Theatre is Jasperson’s theatre and that he lives there. Jasperson played the roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton, in Acts 1 and 2 respectively. During his performance as John Laurens, Jasperson’s lines and deliveries felt extremely rushed and nervous. There was a sense of overcompensation with how he delivered his lines, to the point that it felt unnatural—especially for how John Laurens was written as a character.
It is a beautiful thing that theatre curates a space for experimentation and personal flair, though I would say that even this has its limits. Actors should absolutely make a role their own and at the same time, ensuring that the role and character is allowed to maintain their consistency across time. I felt that Jasperson did a much better job at performing as Philip Hamilton, his silliness and abrasiveness coming out perfectly for this character.
Furthermore, though Colby Lewis was able to emulate the characters of Lafayette and Jefferson more smoothly than Jasperson in his roles, Lewis, too, had some interesting ways of delivering his lines. Many of his lines were mumbled (as were many of the other understudy line deliveries; I interpreted this as a sign of nervousness), which created, yet another disconnect in my opinion. Both Lafayette and Jefferson are outspoken characters (especially Jefferson), and a lack of enunciation and intention behind the lines somehow put a damper on the intensity of both characters.
The Schuyler Sisters were quite wonderful. On the topic of adding a personal flair to a character, that is certainly what Morgan Anita Wood and Jisel Soleil Ayon did for Eliza and Angelica, respectively. Wood crafted a more innocent, joyous, friendly Eliza and Ayon, a sarcastic, witty Angelica. I will say that I do wish Wood had tapped a little more into Eliza’s serious side, especially as the show progressed, but it was fun to see Eliza being portrayed in this capacity. Both had amazing voices that evoked raw emotions and did so consistently throughout the show. Of course, Eliza’s wail at Philip’s death and her final gasp were extremely emotional; there wasn’t a dry eye in the audience. In that regard, I extend my applause.
Finally, Jarrod Spector as King George was such a fun experience. Of course, no one will be able to live up to Jonathon Groff, but Spector does a pretty good job. He was funny, sarcastic, vicious, and overall, the perfect person to play King George. It was a delight every time he came on stage, he added such flavor to the stage and curated a wonderful environment.
Now. Moving on to what I’m sure everyone is waiting for. Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr. My goodness. I don’t say this phrase often, but this was a religious experience. I’m a very emotional person, especially when it comes to live theatre, and so I was expecting to cry every time Odom Jr. opened his mouth. Much to my surprise, I felt a sense of calm (though that’s not to say that I didn’t cry at all. Trust me, I was sobbing). It felt natural to see him in this role.
Something interesting that I did make a note of was the difference in the way Odom Jr. portrayed Burr his second time around. In the Disney+ film version of Hamilton, which features all the original cast members, Odom Jr. can be seen portraying Burr very energetically. He appears eager, youthful, hungry, and emotionally expressive. Which, in my opinion, all make sense considering that Odom Jr. was the first to play the role and that he himself was a younger actor; after all, it was filmed nearly ten years ago in June of 2016—Hamilton had only first debuted in February of 2015.
In this performance, I noticed a couple things. Firstly, that Odom Jr. was having the time of his life on stage. He broke the fourth wall a couple of times, experimented with facial expressions and physicality, and allowed himself to become Burr once more. He really allowed himself to take liberties with the character of Burr, and though this contradicts what I mentioned earlier, it worked. I believe it is because Odom Jr. is Burr in many of our minds and so after ten years of not having him on stage, it is curious for many of us to see how Burr has evolved in Odom Jr.’s mind. With this being said, I also noticed and actually appreciated the way he matured Burr as a character. He still managed to portray the hunger and eagerness of Burr the way he did ten years ago, but it felt much more toned down and subtle; I personally thought that this added to the emotional aspect of Burr as a character and why so many people adore him and his songs.
One of the moments I experienced this vividly in was in “The World Was Wide Enough,” when Burr sings:
“They won’t teach you this in your classes / But look it up, Hamilton was wearing his glasses / Why? If not to take deadly aim / It’s him or me, the world will never be the same / I had only one thought before the slaughter / This man will not make an orphan of my daughter / Look him in the eye, aim no higher / Summon all the courage you require / Then count”
In the original recording, you can hear the desperation in Odom Jr.’s voice as he explains the duel between Burr and Hamilton. There is a sort of emotional primal power in the way that Odom Jr. sings. In the live performance, Odom Jr. sang those exact same lines with a more mature, quiet resolve. As if he is simply stating that he has made up his mind and no one can change it.
This was also evident in “The Room Where It Happens,” when Burr sings the infamous:
“I / Wanna be in the room where it happens / The room where it happens / I / Wanna be in the room where it happens / The room where it happens”
In the original recording, again, you can hear a sort of jealous desperation in Odom Jr.’s voice. In the live performance, Odom Jr. was much more intentional. A slow realization that he must do whatever it takes to be in the room where it happens. Though his performance may have been less “emotional” it was certainly jarring and moving in a different way.
I just remember thinking “ooo… this is new… I love it.”
Leslie Odom Jr., much like Burr, is inimitable… original.
Overall, the cast was wonderful and it was clear that there was a wonderful connection between all the actors on stage, there was a beautiful chemistry between them all. It was an absolutely incredible, once in a lifetime, surreal experience.
***
The next day, my parents and I saw Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre. This was my first time seeing Wicked live and it was absolutely incredible. My mom and I have always had a connection to Wicked ever since I was a child, so this was such a special experience for us.
Below is the cast at my performance:
ALLE TRIMM as Glinda
LENCIA KEBEDE as Elphaba
JENNA BAINBRIDGE as Nessarose
DANIEL QUADRINO as Boq
NaTASHA YVETTE WILLIAMS as Madame Morrible
WILLIAM YOUMANS as Doctor Dillamond
JORDAN LITZ as Fiyero
BRAD OSCAR as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
What an absolutely incredible performance. Everyone in this performance was insanely talented, the set was phenomenal, and the costumes were impeccable. It was clear to tell that every aspect of this performance was extremely well thought out and intentional.
Something I thought was so cool was the big dragon above the curtains. Before the show started, I noticed some men crouching down in a small balcony above the stage and I was so curious what they were doing up there. At one point in the middle of the performance, I caught sight of one of them crawling out onto the balcony, grabbing onto a thick rope, and seconds later, the dragon came to life. Wings flapping, mouth opening and closing, smoke billowing out from its nostrils. When I looked over, the man was tugging on the rope, controlling the dragons. Seconds later, he was gone and the dragon was still once more.
I was in awe of the magic of theatre in that moment.
All I have to say about this cast is that everyone was perfectly cast. Allie Trimm… wow. What a powerhouse of a voice. In all honesty, I prefer her rendition of Glinda to Kristin Chenoweth. I know! I know! You can’t beat the original, and Chenoweth is an absolute legend, but Trimm was phenomenal with every aspect of her performance. Her voice was incredible, her physicality was on point at every turn, her humor was delivered perfectly, her solemnity was beautiful, and her overall stage presence was enthralling. She made my dad laugh. If someone can make my dad laugh… boy oh boy are they good.
Lencia Kebede was wonderful as Elphaba as well. I will say that her portrayal of Elphaba was, right off the bat, aggressive and standoff-ish. I appreciate tapping into this aspect of Elphaba as a character, but I do wish she had played more into Elphaba’s meekness, especially in the beginning of the story, before she finds her confidence. Her voice was evocative as well, though there were times that it felt as if she were “speak-singing” rather than “singing,” and so it was difficult to get a full grasp as to the scope of her abilities.
The choreography was captivating and the costumes, as I mentioned were dazzling. They absolutely properly depicted each character’s personality or social stance.
Aside from “Popular,” (a classic for a reason), I would have to say that my favorite number was “One Short Day.” The set and build-up for the Emerald City was breathtaking and I couldn’t help but feel positively giddy.
Overall, what a fun performance! This was yet another experience that I was finally able to cross off my bucket list!
Based on these two shows alone, I would say that my brief excursion to New York was a smashing success!
Photos provided by Eleni Dimitrakos.
